Part III – Playing the Atlanta Falcons
This week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons should be heavily favorable for Detroit’s front. Falcons rank in the bottom 10 in pass protection. They’ve also struggled to run the ball this season, despite signing running back Todd Gurley.
If Detroit attacks Atlanta in a similar fashion to how they played the Jaguars, it should lead to success. More loaded fronts with linebackers blitzing a fair amount, in order to throw the opposing offense off their rhythm.
The Lions can not sit back in coverage against receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Giving quarterback Matt Ryan time will not bode well for Patricia’s defense. Scheming up pressure to force bad throws and mistakes will be their best strategy.
Atlanta had just fired head coach Dan Quinn and are coming off an impressive victory against the Minnesota Vikings. However, the Vikings were without superstar running back Dalvin Cook, which hurts them significantly. They also aren’t that good either.
Expect the Detroit Lions to pose a bigger threat, both offensively and defensively. This should be a matchup that comes down to the wire, much like the last time these two teams faced each other.